


Degrees of Separation

by Night_Queen3927



Series: Finding the Light [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Anger, Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, Mental Breakdown, Not Canon Compliant, POV Multiple, Points of View, Reaction, Sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 02:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21245729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_Queen3927/pseuds/Night_Queen3927
Summary: The reactions of various people who know Marinette after they learn about her accidents.





	Degrees of Separation

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct sequel to my other work "Take my hand and turn on the light", you can read this on its own (I'm not your parent to tell you yes or no), I'm saying that it'll make very little sense without reading the first one.
> 
> Again, I don't own Miraculous Ladybug. If I did, I wouldn't have to work and my schedule says that I have work shifts for a while out, ie I don't own it.
> 
> Disclaimer #1: This deals with reactions so it explores a multitude of people not just one. Don't complain that one character got a longer scene than other, the muse made me write it that way/I didn't know how to make longer without making it awkward.
> 
> Disclaimer #2: This does mention Marinette in the hospital. It is not graphic, it's very toned down. Don't say "Why did you put her in the hospital!", she got ***spoilers from "Take my home and turn on the light*** shoved down the stairs, that leaves injuries.

_A ladybird is a delicate yet strong creature. Its wings are the most vulnerable parts yet they are protected behind a tough outer shell._

“I regret to inform Paris that their erstwhile defenders seem to have vanished from sight. Fortunately, the villainous Hawkmoth also seems to have vanished, there have been no reports of any Akuma sightings for the past week. Could it be that Ladybug and Chat Noir have successfully defeated Hawkmoth and are retired now?” A news anchor said, brushing hair out of his face. “Now over to Nadja Chamack for local events.”

“Greetings, Paris.” Nadja’s face was pale and lined with stress. Her voice lacked its usual eagerness and was instead quiet and mournful. “We are bringing you updates on the criminal charges levied against a diplomat’s daughter. The charges thus far stand as criminal assault, truancy, slander, conspiracy to commit terrorism, aiding and abetting a known terrorist, and threatening. As the daughter of a diplomat, as well as a minor, this news channel has elected to keep her name private. The parents of the victim have similarly requested that her name be kept private and no pictures shared. The victim was a classmate of the accused, and was assaulted. The victim is currently in the hospital undergoing surgery to treat the injury sustained from being pushed down a flight of stairs.” Nadja took in a shaky breath, and glanced back down at her notes, “According to the parents, the victim-” With that word, Nadja burst into tears and ran off of the news set. Her cup of steaming coffee was left alone, wisps of steam curling and dancing in the air.

The news screen cut back to the first news anchor, whose face was shocked and eyes wide. “Uh, we’ll get back to Nadja later, I guess.” His eyes were wide, looking for cue cards. “Ladybug and Chat Noir, we all wish you the best and hope that you have successfully defeated Hawkmoth.” With that awkward ending, the news cut off and went to commercial.

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

“Hey, Penny!” Jagged Stone called out, rubbing Fang’s belly. “Can you call Marinette? I want her to design my next rock-and-roll outfit for my show!”

“Jagged, haven’t you heard?” Penny approached Jagged, her heels clicking away on the floor. “Marinette is in the hospital. Her parents emailed all of her acquaintances to tell them.”

“Ouch! Did she break an arm? I should just get that girl a dog that’ll keep her safe. Or a crocodile like Fang!” Jagged was still upbeat, cheerful and hyperactive. “Do you think that her parents will be okay with a crocodile in the house? I don’t think that crocodiles eat pastries.”

“Jagged. Read the email.” Penny ordered, voice flat. She thrust her tablet into Jagged’s hands, already open to the email that she was discussing.

As Jagged read further through the email, his smile fell and his demeanor got darker and darker. “Penny.” His voice was ice-cold, sharp, and deadly. “We’re going to Collège Françoise Dupont to figure out just how her ‘friends’ let this happen. After that we’re going to the hospital to visit Marinette.”

Penny gave a single sharp nod, her nails tapping against her clipboard, a deadly rhythm sounding with each click. Her nails were crimson, almost as if she had dipped them in the blood of past enemies as a warning sign to future enemies. 

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

“And why do you wish for me to provide lawyers to Mlle. Rossi, Adrien?” The male voice was tired and exhausted. “Her mother is a diplomat and can provide her own lawyers.”

“But, Father, your lawyers are some of the best around. I know that this is all a big misunderstanding! Lila didn’t mean to hurt Marinette. It was an accident and the rest of the charges are just because misunderstandings.” Adrien argued, voice passionate.

“Adrien.” Gabriel Agreste slammed his hand down on his desk. “Are you telling me that Mlle. Rossi is the one who is accused of shoving Mlle. Dupain-Cheng down the staircase, leading to her being in the hospital with severe injuries, along with several other charges!”

“Well, yes. But, Father, it is just a misunderstanding! Besides, we need to help Lila. If we don’t, she could get akumatized again.” Adrien protested, not thinking of the entire picture.

“Adrien. I will not provide my lawyers to a girl who was caught on tape pushing a classmate down a flight of stairs. I will not provide them to a girl who is accused of plotting terrorism and of helping a terrorist.” Gabriel slumped down in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. He let out a sigh, and looked Adrien in the eyes. “Adrien, you are forbidden from contacting this Mlle. Rossi. It is obvious that she is bad news and that she will hurt anyone that she wants.”

“But, Father!” 

“Silence!” Gabriel roared. “I will be telling Nathalie and your bodyguard, Liam, that they are to keep you away from Mlle. Rossi. If you disobey this order, I will pull you out of Collège Françoise Dupont.”

“But what about stopping Lila from being Akumatized!” 

“I don’t care.” Gabriel replied sharply. “A person’s wrongdoings shouldn’t be forgotten and wiped clean just because of a fear of akumatization. That is not how society works. You do something wrong, you are punished for it, you don’t get off scot free.”

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

“Lila Rossi.” A black silhouette mused, fingers running over the ball capped on top of their staff. “A wonderful minion, one that is excellent at executing my will and desire to gain the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Chat Noir.” A scoff emanated from the figure. “Nooroo, dark wings fall.” Hawkmoth detransformed, revealing Gabriel Agreste. 

“Master?” Nooroo asked, his voice meek and quiet. “What are you doing?”

“Lila Rossi might be a good minion, but she is an awful person.” Gabriel said, stalking out of his lair. “I do not harm children. None of my Akumas are ever harmed physically, and they cannot remember what they did under my influence. All injuries are healed by Ladybug’s Miraculous Ladybug. When she willingly, and intentionally shoved Mlle. Dupain-Chang down that flight of stairs, she broke my core principle. I am done with her.” The door shut with an echoing thud.

“What will you do about her?” Nooroo asked, gaining some confidence.

“Destroy her entirely of course. Grind her into dust so that she’ll never be able to rise up again.” Gabriel’s voice at complete odds with his dark imaginings. “I’m sure that I’ll think up several very nasty ideas to deal with her.”

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

“But, Philece!” A voice protested, its owner catching ahold of a sleeve of a lab coat

“But nothing, Caline Bustier!” The lab-coat wearing person snapped. “And don’t call me Philece! That name is reserved for my friends and family. You obviously are neither if you lack the intellect to realize that Mlle. Rossi was a two-faced liar as well as the spine to control your classroom full of bullies.”

“Mendeleiev,” Caline said exasperatedly. “I made a mistake, I get it. Please just reconsider your actions.”

Mendeleiev stopped short, her lab coat billowing backwards. “A mistake?” Her voice was calm, but as all sailors know, calm waters can hide treacherous depths.

“Yes!” Caline thought that she was actually convincing Mendeleiev of her side of things. “I know that I should’ve nipped Lila’s lies in the bud, but I didn’t realize at first, and then it would’ve disrupted the class.” A sweet smile spread over Caline’s lips, eager for Mendeleiev to confirm her belief.

“Caline. You are an-” Mendeleiev shook her head gently, voice stunned and disbelieving. Caline almost resembling a puppy dog in that moment, eyes wide, an imaginary tail whipping back and forth, and an unbelievable amount of naivety in her body language. “Idiot of remarkable proportions. Lila wasn’t the only thing that I was referencing. You let Chloé Bourgeois run rampant over your control. She believed, rightly so, that she could do whatever she wanted, no matter how spoiled or selfish, and wouldn’t get so much as a slap on the wrist thanks to her father being the mayor of Paris.”

“But Chloé was getting better. This year, Chloé started to think about others and wasn’t as quick to put others down. That shows that I was right, that eventually she would become better.” Caline quickly defended her reasoning.

“That was because of Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, Caline! Once Chloé figured out that there were people out in the world who wouldn’t be cowed by the threat of her father or bought by the idea of getting in good with the Mayor’s daughter, it forced her to change. Bullies don’t change their stripes just because of time and an example of a good person. They are forced to change, forced adapt, otherwise the people surrounding them would’ve had enough and thrown them out.” Mendeleiev snapped, swiftly dismantling Caline’s delusions before they got worse. “You should’ve broken all the lies and used your position as the teacher to keep the students in line! You are in charge of them, they have to listen to you! I know that you like the idea that you are all a happy family, but as the head of the family in this analogy, you have to keep them in line, which sometimes requires using a strong hand!”

“But that doesn’t work! You know that children will rebel against authority figures if they believe it’s right!”

“I’m not saying to be a tyrant or a dictator. I’m saying you needed to lay down the law and stick to it. Tell them what will not be tolerated, establish consequences for breaking the rules, and enforce those consequences!” Mendeleiev hit back, “That is what I do because chemistry is a dangerous subject if they don’t follow the rules.”

Finally, the facts sunk into Caline Bustier’s head. “Marinette in the hospital and Lila being charged with criminal activity is my fault?”

Mendeleiev turned around and saw the destroyed expression on Caline’s face. Cursing her gentle heart that was buried beneath her stone facade, Mendeleiev gently drew Caline into an embrace. “You share some responsibility for it, that is true. But you are not at fault for Lila’s action. She is mature enough to know what she did could hurt people and as a diplomat’s daughter, she knows the legal system better than most.” Mendeleiev gently stroked Caline’s hair, humming a gentle tune while Caline wept quietly.

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

“Oh, Tom, what are we going to do?” Sabine wept, burrowing her face into her husband’s chest. “Our darling is in the hospital and the doctors don’t know if she’ll wake up!!”

Tom hummed quietly, his large hands roving over Sabine’s back in an attempt to soothe her. “I know _mi tesoro_, I know. All we can do now is be patient. Marinette will come back to us and we just need to take care of her until then.”

“The sight of her in that hospital room, it hurt so much. Marinette doesn’t belong in there!” Sabine said through her tears, dashing them away from her cheeks. “She belongs in the world, designing her clothes, and baking with us! She should be surrounded with color and life, not sterility and white.”

“We’ll take her home with us after the doctors finish surgery and she finishes healing. She can be in her room with all of her belongings, everything that she loves, while we wait for her to come back to us.” Tom said, his voice rumbling through his chest. He pressed his wife into his chest, both to comfort her and reassure himself that she was still there.

Tom and Sabine stood guard over Marinette’s still body.

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

Marinette’s body was dwarfed by the bed that she was in. White sheets covered her up to her chest, creating almost an illusion that she was just asleep in a bed. Tubes sprouted from the crook of her elbows, connected to IV bags that held different solutions. Her left arm was wrapped in a pink cast and laid by her side, not moving in the slightest. Her right arm was covered with bandages that were spotted with red. Her legs were concealed under the sheet, only the hint of a cast on her right foot was visible. A white bandage was wrapped around her head, covering the patch of hair that the doctors were forced to shave to treat the head wound

“Oh, Marinette.” A squeaky voice sighed. A red blur flew through the air and stopped just in front of Marinette’s face. The blur resolved into Tikki, her antenna drooping and her paws dangling limply in front of her. “I didn’t think this would happen.”

“You couldn’t have known, Sugarcube.” 

“Yes, I should’ve! I’m the Kwami of Creation! I should’ve been able to protect her!” Tikki cried, flying into Plagg’s open arms.

“Sugarcube, you’re just one Kwami. Besides we’re forbidden from interacting with anyone other than our holders. You couldn’t have done anything to stop that Lila girl.” Plagg said, pulling Tikki in tighter. “Besides, you know what we can do now?”

“What?” Tikki sniffled, a red paw darting up to swipe away a tear.

“We can exact punishment on Lila. Don’t you remember what we can do together? We caused and stopped the plagues in Egypt. We raised and sank Atlantis together. Together, we can do anything!” Plagg said, attempting to cheer Tikki up. “We can give Lila bad luck for the rest of her days, so that she’ll never be able to do whatever she wants again.

“You’d help me?” 

“Sugarcube, Creation and Destructions are two sides of the same coin. Can’t have one without the other. Your bug could’ve been an amazing kitten for me, simply for her sheer inventiveness. I will help avenge her and you.” Plagg allowed a wicked smirk to curl across his lips and his eyes were dancing mischievously. 

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

“Look at that, Mari. So many people that you’ve touched, so many want to protect you and avenge you against that liar Lila.” Kari chuckled, running a hand through Marinette’s hair. Marinette was curled up, her head resting on Kari’s lap, fast asleep. “I can’t wait to see what you’ll choose.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed.
> 
> I have a temper, but I am always thankful when people point out any mistakes that I made such as spelling/grammar/formatting/shit I don't want to list. 
> 
> I do have a request. For whoever is role-playing as Lila in the comment sections of my fics, please take it off-line or to another section of the internet. I don't need to know your private kink of being a troll. I know that there are several places online that cater to your type of kink. To be clear, I'm not kink-shaming your desire to be a troll or any other kink that you may have, I'm just requesting that you enjoy your troll kink far away from my fics.


End file.
